North Carolina voters await end of election

As of 7:30 p.m., in the state of North Carolina, it's too close to call if the winner of this swing state will be President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. Today’s voters had very different ideas as to who would be the most effective leader of our nation.

“The most important issue facing our country at this time is national debt,” stated voter Page Johnson. “Neither of the candidates met all of my ideals, however I found I must weigh the evidence in the best way I can. I think that Obama would continue down his path of spending and borrowing. I think that Romney, with his business background, would set up better boundaries on spending and put forth a budget that we can begin to recover. He proved it as a Governor and I hope that he will be able to work with Democrats and Republicans to get it done. I don't think he can get us to zero debt, but at least move us in the right direction.”

Lauren Skaar, another voter, had other ideas. “The economy is the most important issue in this election cycle,” she said. “I think that no matter which candidate is elected, the economy will continue to improve, and thus the next president can expect to receive a lot of credit for it under his term.”

While their reasons for supporting either President Obama or Mitt Romney may vary, there is one thing most voters agree on: they are relieved that this race is coming to an end.

“I am ready for it to be over!” said Nicole Foster, a voter in Raleigh, North Carolina. She said that she was tired of the candidates blaming each other rather than focusing on their own plan for our country. “I would like a candidate that stood on their own ideas without bringing anyone else down. That’s weak,” she said. Lauren Skaar agreed. “The overall tone of the election has been extremely negative on both sides.”

The majority of the voters I spoke with today predicted that Obama would win by a small margin. However, there are still many that have faith in Mitt Romney. It's unclear who will win here in North Carolina, but in a few hours the election will be over, something that, no matter what the outcome, is sure to be a relief for many of our voters here.

—Kid Reporter Katharine Richardson